Brrrr. Sure the days are warmer, but when the sun goes down and I'm waiting for the wood stove to heat up, I crave something hearty and warm for dinner. I found this in my ziplock sack of recipes (soon to be a beautiful binder of recipes, when I get around to it). Some sit in there for a while, hidden in the pile. This one is easy and quick. You probably have the ingredients already. Comforting food at its vegetarian best.Yield: 4-5 servingsCook time: 1 hour

Do you ever get stuck on something and can't get enough? These are my new addiction. I say addiction, but I can't eat more than 4 at one sitting. And that amount makes me oh so full----so I've learned to stick to 2.

I've made them 3 times now and each time it's a little different. They're healthy and sugar-free but they feel like a REAL treat and fill the void from quitting sugar recently. The recipe is from Sarah Wilson.

You can throw just about anything in them (within reason). The original recipe calls for 1/2 jar almond butter (how big of a jar? no idea). I've listed what I use and they turn out just fine. I threw raw cocoa nibs in the last batch, a very nice addition I would say.

**update April 22, 2013. The EWG released their 2013 guide today for Earth Day. These links will send you to their new website. The new 'dirty dozen' has changed. Happy to see lettuce and blueberries off the list!!

I love getting rid of stuff. That's what I was doing when I came across an old magazine and the 2012 Environmental Working Group's Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce. You've probably come across this list at some point. The 2012 guide (the most recent) includes some different items than years past. I was surprised to see many of my favs. Worth knowing about, yes, but not worth getting too freaked about.

I like what EWG says....

Eat your fruits and vegetables! The health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. Use the guide to reduce your exposures as much as possible, but eating conventionally-grown produce is far better than not eating fruits and vegetables at all. The guide will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce.

Dirty Dozen Plus™

Buy these organic

1

Apples

2

Celery

3

Sweet bell peppers

4

Peaches

5

Strawberries

6

Nectarines
– imported

7

Grapes

8

Spinach

9

Lettuce

10

Cucumbers

11

Blueberries
– domestic

12

Potatoes

Plus

+

Green beans

+

Kale/Greens

+ May contain pesticide residues of special concern

Any suprises for you? Do you base produce purchase on pesticide levels?

Gwyneth P has a new cookbook "It's all Good". It's her second, though I didn't know she was a food enthusiast. There has been a lot of news about this book and how it follows an 'elimination diet' recommended to her by her doctor. I'm intrigued because she's eliminating most forms of sugar (using xylitol, stevia or rice malt syrup). And that wins some (homemade, low-sugar) brownie points with me...

Some thoughts:

I used what is labelled a YAM at the grocery store. Turns out this is actually a sweet potato. I always thought it was the other way around. It would seem that at most grocery stores all they carry is different versions of sweet potatoes. Actual yams are not usually found in our stores and are more popular in Central and South America.

Preheat the oven to 400. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a paring knife or a fork. Bake until soft (when a paring knife can cut through with zero resistance), about 1 hour. Set the sweet potato aside until it’s completely cool.

Peel the sweet potato, discard the skin, and mash the flesh in a mixing bowl with a fork.

Whisk the olive oil, almond milk, xylitol, and vanilla into the sweet potato.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, five-spice powder, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and evenly distribute the muffin batter among the cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool before serving.

Not sure if I'll buy the cookbook, but if the recipes are this good, it might be worth it. I found another one of hers, Bummer Bars that I'm planning to try next. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ok, these seeds soak up A LOT of liquid. Chia seed pudding! Who would think? This is another one from Sarah Wilson. I debated making it, as it looked strange and I wasn't sure I would like the texture. But it's good! Tastes kinda like tapioca pudding (though Craig begs to differ). Worth trying just to see what you think.

**It was seriously difficult to take a good pic. Put it in a fancy dish? Leave it in the mason jar I mixed it in? It all looked weird, so I just put it in the little glass dish I bring to work.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chia seeds
1 1/2 - 2 cups almond milk (or other kind of milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder (I wish I could find some, it sounds opulent)
pinch of salt
stevia to taste (I added 1/8 tsp of powdered stevia-that amount doesn't make it very sweet)
1/4 cup frozen berries (I used organic wild blueberries from Costco-they are tiny and sweet)InstructionsPlace all in a bowl (or mason jar works well) and stir. That's it really. I let mine sit 15 minutes before I eat it. If you plan to let it sit longer or overnight, add more milk. Lots of pretty birds around our place these days. Here's one I see almost everyday. No idea what kind, but beautiful. (p.s. found out it's a Stellar Jay, the official bird of British Columbia)
Have a great weekend, I hope you give this one a try!

I love coconut products and frequently use milk and oil. But until today, I had never tried coconut butter (aka peanut butter, but for coconuts). Amazing stuff, creamy and sweet. Super rich though. I ate a teaspoon and I don't think I can eat lunch now. The only ingredient is coconut flesh. I think it would be amazing on toast but I'm not sure what else to do with it yet.

I also picked up coconut flakes. Like shredded but bigger (and more expensive). Much prettier and easier to snack on like in a trail mix.

And, as the weather gets better, gardening season is arriving. I found this guy peeking out.

These seed packs are inspiring of what lays ahead. I can picture rows of green....and bowls of my own organic salad mix.

What interesting things have you bought lately? I'd love to get some new ideas for products to try.